Sighting apparatus.



G. ESTOPPEY. smmms APPARATUS.

APPLICATIQN FILED DEC. 15, I911.

1 Patented Mar. 11,1919.

' lowing specification and the accompanyingtables.

UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGES ESTOPPEY,

me, or NEW YORK, N. Y., A

OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 MUSA, ESTOPPEY & CO.

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SIGHTING- APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGES ESTOPPEY, a citizen of Switzerland, residingat Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, fulImprovements in Sighting Apparatus, fully described and represented inthe foldrawings, forming a part of the same.

My invention relates to sighting apparatus and more particularly toapparatus for determining by observation the point in the travel of anaeroplane or like moving body at which an object, such as a bomb must bereleased in order to strike va stationary target, such as a building ofthe enemy. It is well known in accordance with the laws of motion thatwhen an object, such as a bomb, is released from a moving body, such asan aeroplane, it assumes an initial speed in the direction of movementof the aeroplane or other moving body equal to the speed of the latter;so that if an aeroplane is moving hor1zontally at a given speed therewill be a tendency for the released bomb to continue to movehorizontally at the same speed. The aviator in order to hit the targetis lease the bomb before the aeroplane'is directly above the target.Certain devices these devices are generally inconvenient'to operate, thebest known devices requiring the reading of scales and the consultationof It is the aim of the present invention to, provide apparatus freefrom the objections in the devices heretofore known and operable todetermine automatically theproper position of the aeroplane with respectto the target for the release of a bomb the same to strike the targetrethe altitude and speed of the aeroplane. Other objects of my inventionwill appear more fully hereinafter.

A clear understanding of the invention to cause gardless of.

i can Best be had by reference to the accompanying drawings showingsighting apparatus embodying the invention in the form have inventedcertain new and use-- accordingly obliged to reline of vision 12 passesthrough the axesof the pivots 5.

Specification of Letters Patent. P t t 11, 1919,

Application filed December 15, 1917. Serial No. 207,380.

now considered best and illustrating the operation of the saidapparatus. In said drawings Figure 1 is a section of the apparatus takenon line 1-1 of Fig. 2, the sighting member being shown in dotted linesin various positions occupied thereby in the operation of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 isa front view of the apparatus viewing the same from the left ofFig. 1, partsof the apparatus being broken away;

' Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 4-.4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is adiagram explaining the operais carried. To the part 1, asshown, a ring 2 is pivoted, as by pivot screws 3, the axes of which arearranged in a line passing diametrically through the ring 2 fore and aftof the aeroplane. Within this ringa frame fl is suspended, as bytransverse pivots. 5 secured within alined bearings 6, 7 in-the frame 4and having their axes in a horizontal line passing diametrically of thering 2 at right angles to the axes of the pivots 3. -The frame 4 extendsabove the p'1 vots -5, being provided at its upper end with a horizontalguide '8, the lower part of the frame 4. being substantially U-shapedand forming with the weight 9 a pendulum whereby the guide 8. and theaxes of the pivots 5 are maintained horizontalregardless of themovements ofthe aeroplane and the'framedevicel forming a part thereoffrom horizontal position. 'Rotatably mounted upon the spaced innerextremities of the pivots 5 is a sighting member 11 which, as shown, isin the form of a needle having a lower sight 12 and an upper sight 13,the sights 12 and 13 being so arranged that the from the sight 13 to thesight Means are desirably provided to facilitate the manual turning ofthe sighting member on one of the pivots and adapted to have thesighting member 11 detachably con? nected thereto, as by means of a setscrew 15 carried by the said member, the worm wheel 14 being driven by aworm 16 carried by a frame member 17 projecting downwardly from the ring2'. For convenience of operation by the aviator, the means for rotatingthe worm 16 are desirably carried by the frame of the aeroplane, In theconstruction shown, a crank 18 mounted in a supported bearing 19 carriedby the frame 1 is connected, as by a flexible cable 20 with the worm 16.

For determining the position at which the sighting member 11 should beset about the axis of pivots 5 for sightingthe target at the moment whenthe bomb is to' be released from the aeroplane, the said member isconnected with a slide 22 movable horizontally in ways in a slide 23which moves horizontally in ways in the guide 8. In order to permit themember 11 to move about its pivot and the slide 22 to move horizontally,the said member and slide are connected by means permitting a relativemovement between the same parallelto the line of vision along thesighting member. As shown, a pin 24 projects laterally from the slide 22and moves in a longitudinal slot 25 in the sighting member 1 1, the axisof the pin being deslrably in the horizontal plane passing through thelongitudinal center line of the guide 8. Means such as the set screw 26is provided to detachably fix the slide 22 in position with respect tothe slide 23, and means such as the set screw 27 is providedtodetachably fix the slide 23 in' position with respect to the guide 8. Adustable means such as the screw 28 supported in a bearing carried by theguide 8 and extending longitudinally of the said uide is provided toengage t e forward en of the slide 22 to limit the forward movement ofthe lat- I ter, the screw'28 being ordinarily'adjusted to stopforward'movement of the sighting member when its line of vision isvertical.

As shown, the forward end of the slide 23 is cut away. in the center topermit the forward portion of said slide to ass beyond the bearing forthe screw 28. o l1m1t the rearward movement of the slide22 with re,-

spect to the slide 23, the slide 23 is provided at the rear end oftheways in which the slide 22 is supported with a transverse wall. 31 whichthe rear of the slide 22 is adapted to engage. Adjustable means such asthe screw 30 may beprovided for limiting the rearward movement of theslide 23 in the guide 8. I

In order to assistthe operator in following the sighting member withhiseyes, I

provide an eye shield and head rest 32 which, as. shown, is carried byarms 33 pivoted to the frame 1, as at 34, for movement about an axiswhich is coincident with the axes of the pivots 5 when the aeroplane isin a horizontal position, the shield 32 being accordingly adapted tomove forwardly and rearwar ly with the sighting member. The lateralmovements of the sighting member v11 about the pivots 3, 3 are normallyslight durin the use of the apparatus and there is accor ingly nonecessity of mountingthe shield 32 for lateral movement. The shield 32and the arms 33 carryingthe same may be held in position in any suitableway, there being most desirably sufficient friction between the arms 33and the. frame 1 to hold the said arms and shield 32 in position, but

to permit movement of the said shield and arms by the head of theoperator as it rests upon the said shield. I

In operation, the apparatus is first arranged with the slide 23 mengagement with the inner end o'fthe screw 30 and with the slide 22engagingthe wall 31 in the slide 23,

the slide 23 being fixed to the guide 8 by the .set screw 27 and thesighting member 11 being fixed to the worm wheel 14 by the set screw 15.The line of vision of the sighting member .then makes its maximumangle 1) with the vertical, as shown in dotted lines at The aviator thenproaches the target, most desirably in the irection of the wind eitherwith or against the same. In

approaching the target, the aeroplane is maintained at a substantiallyconstant. 'heighta'bove the ground and for the short distance duringwhich the. device is operated maintains -a substantially constant speed.By reference to a barometer which is desirably graduated to give thetime required for a body to drop from any given height to the ground,the aviator determines the time required for the bomb to drop from theaeroplane to the ground. Knowing this time, he continues to approach thetarget sighting along member 11, with the latter in the rearmostposition, as stated, until the target appears in the .line of visionalong the sighting member.

Then with the set screw 26 released, the operator rotates the crank 18to move the sighting member 11'.

about its axis, so as to maintaln the target in the line of vision alongthe sighting member. When the crank 18-"has been rotated for a period-oftime corresponding to the time re uired' for the bomb to drop to theground mm a height equal to that at which the aeroplane is traveling,the rotation thereof is stopped and the screw 26 set to fix the slide 22in position with. res'pect to the slide 23. The operator may be advisedof the elapse of the time interval referred to in any suitable way, mostdesirably by a time piece which is provided with an operating memberreadily accessible to the operator for starting the time piece and withmeans whereby the time piece may be set to give an audible or othersignal at the end of the time interval. The line of vision of thesighting member is now in the position indicated by dotted lines at bb,the said line making an angle '1' with the vertical. The set screw 27and also desirably the set screw 15 are now released and the slide23'with the slide 22 secured thereto is moved forwardly until theforward end of the slide 22 engages the inner end of the-stop 28. Inthis position the line of vision along the sighting member 11 willgenerally be vertical, as shown at 0-0, Fig. 1. The slide 23 is thenfixed in position with respect to the guide 8 by the set screw 27, theset screw 26 being released and the slide 22 moves rearwardly until itengages the stop wall 31, when the set screw 26 may again be fastened tosecure the sighting member in position. 7

The position now occupied by the sighting member is shown in solid linesin Fig. 1, the angle made by the line of vision along the member 11 withthe vertical being indicated by the letter 0. With the sighting memberin this position, the aviator continues to approach the targetcontinuing to sight along the member 11 until the target comes in viewand is located in the line of vision along the said member. He thenimmediately releases the bomb or bombs, which travel downwardly andforwardly on a curved trajectory (EA Fig. 5) to the target. The totaltime operations need not exceed 20 to 30 seconds.

The theory upon which the apparatus operates will be clear by referenceto the diagram shown in Fig. 5.

Let A represent a target. AB, the ground line. CD, the horizontal pathof the aeroplane.

E, he point at which the bomb must be released from the aeroplane tostrike the target A. F, the position in its path occupied by theaeroplane after it has traveled from the point C for a length of timeequal to that required by an object to fall to the ground from theheight indicated by the line CD. AD, avertical line through the point A.CB, a vertical line through the point C. FG, a vertical line through thepoint F.

It must now be shown that 0=angle DAE taken for all of thesepath of theaxis of the pin 24 and the horizontal plane through the axes of thepivots 5.

Then

I tan o= (1) But -l=distanc moved by axis of pin 24 during the shiftingof the line of vision from a-a to b-b,

Assuming the aeroplane to be traveling horizontally at a constant speedFrom and (4), v

, is an 0 AD m DAE or 0 angle DAE which was to be proved.

'Whereby it appears that the sighting member in its final position shownin full lines in Fig. 1 is properly located to cause the targetto appearin the line of vision along the sighting member at the moment at whichthe bomb must be released from the aeroplane to fall upon the target.

The time required for the bomb to drop from the aeroplane to the groundmay be given by the barometer as corrected for the resistance of the airto the falling bomb; If the time as given is the theoretical timewithout taking into account the retardin effect of the air upon thefalling bomb, af lowance may be made for this effect by adjustment ofthe screw 28, so as to cause the slide 22 to'engage the same before theline of vision of the sighting member has reached the vertical. Thiswill increase the angle 0 so as to cause the aviator to release the bombearlier, as required. The amount of adjustment of the screw 28 necessaryfor any given height at which the aviator desires to travel may beeasily remembered by the aviator.

While I have shown the form of the invention which I now consider best,numerous modifications may be made in the structure target from a movingtravel at different heights shown without departing from the spirit ofmy invention. 1

What I claim is: 1. In apparatus of the class described, the

combination of sighting means comprisinga member pivoted for movement tochange the direction of the line of vision with respect to the vertical,and means comprising a movable stop coacting with said member andoperable to determine the position of said member for sighting astationary target from a moving body adapted to travel at differentheights and speeds at the moment when an object should be released fromsaid from said body to fall upon said target, said meanscomprising amovable device adapted to be adjusted by preliminary observation of thetarget by the said sighting member.

3..In a device of the class described, the combination of a sightingmember pivoted for movement about a horizontal axis to change thedirection of the lineof vision thereof with respect tot-he vertical,means for positioning-said sighting member with its line of visionvertical or at difi'erent angles to the vertical, said means comprisinga member movable transversely with respect to the vertical, andmeansconnected with said sighting member and adapted to be connected tosaid movable member at diflerent points transversely of the vertical.

4. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a sightingmember pivoted for movement about a horizontal axis, to change thedirection of the line of vision thereof with respect to the vertical,means for limiting the movement of said member to position the same withits line of vision vertical, and means adjustable by preliminaryobservation by said sighting member of a stationary target from a movingbody adapted to travel at different heights and speeds for limiting themovement of said sighting member to position the same for sighting saidtarget from the said body at the moment when an object should bereleased from said body to fall upon said target.

5. In apparatus of the class described, the

combination of a sighting member pivoted for movement about a horlzontalaxis, to

change the direction of the line oflvision thereof .with respect to thevertical, adjustable means for limiting the movement of said member toposition the same with its line of vision approximately vertical, and

the said body at the moment when an object.

should be released from said body to fall upon said target.

6. The combination of a sighting member movable about a horizontal axis,with a guide at an angle'to the vertical, a member movablelongitudinally-of said guide, means movable relatively to the saidmovable member for moving said sighting member about said axis, meansfor limiting themovement of said movable means in one direction toposition said sighting member with its line of vision vertical, andmeans for limiting the movement of. said movable means relatively tosaid movable member in the opposite direction.

7. In apparatus of the class describedtthe combination of a sightingmemberpivoted for movement abouta horizontal axis, a

horizontal guide having its center line spaced 'from said axis, a slidetherein, means for holding the said slide in position in said guide, asecond slide carried by Said firstnamed slide and movable horizontallywith respect thereto, said second slide being connected to said sightingmember, means for holding said second slide in position relatively tosaid first-named slide, and means for limiting the movement of saidsecond slide to position said sighting member with its line of visionvertical, said first-named slide being provided with means for limitingthe movement of said second slide relatively thereto in a direction awayfrom a vertical plane through said horizontal axis.

8. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a sightingmember pivoted for movement about a horizontal axis, a horizontal guidehaving its center line spaced from said axis, a slide therein, means forholding the said slide in position in said guide, a second slide carriedby said firstnamed slidevand movable horizontally with respect thereto,said second nected to said sighting member to permit relative movementbetween said second slide and said sighting member in the direction ofthe line of vision of said sight-ingmember, means for holding saidsecond slide in position relatively to said first-named slide, and meansfor limiting the movement of said second slide to position said sightingmember .with its line of vision vertical, said firstnamed slide beingprovided with means for limiting the movement of said second sliderelatively thereto in a direction away from a vertical plane throughsaid horizontal axis.

9. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a sightingmember pivoted slide being con for movement about a horizontal axis, ahorizontal guide having its center line spaced from said axis, avslidetherein, means for holding the said slide in position in said guide, asecond slidecarried by said first-. named slide and movable horizontallywith respect thereto, said second slide being connected to said sightingmember, means for holding tively to said first-named'slide, andadjustable means for limitingthe movement of said second slide toposition said sighting member with its line of vision approximatelyvertical, said first-named slide "being provided with means for limitingthe movement of said second. slide relatively thereto in a directionaway from a vertical plane through said horizontalaxis.

10. In apparatus of the'classdescribed the I combination of meanscomprisingia member pivoted for movement to change the direction of theline of vision with respect to the vertical, means comprising a movablestop coacting with said member and operable to determine the positionoftsaid mem-, her for sighting a stationary target from a moving bodyadapted to travel at diflerent heights and speeds at the moment when anobject should be released from said body to fall upon said target, andan eye shield mounted for movement concentrically with said pivotedmember to permit the operator to follow the line of vision of saidsighting member in the movements of the latter.

11. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a supportmovable to difi'erent positions with respect to the horizontal, apivoted sighting member, a guide having its center line spaced from theaxis of said sighting member, means for supporting said guide andsighting member from said support adapted to maintain said guide and theaxis of said sighting member horizontal, a slide in said guide, meansfor holding the said slide in position in said guide, a second slidecarried by said first-named slide and movable horizontally with respectthereto, said second slide being connected to said sighting member,means for holding said second slide in position relatively to saidfirstnamed slide, and means for limiting the movement of said secondslide to position said sighting member with its line of vision vertical,said first-named slide being provided with means for limiting themovement of said second slide relatively thereto in a direction awayfrom a vertical plane through the axis of said sighting member.

'12. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a supportmovable to difierent positions with respect to the horizontal, a pivotedsighting member, a guide having its center line spaced from the axis ofsaid sighting member, means for supporting said guide andsighting'member. from said supsaid second slide in position rela guide,

to position said sighting port adapted to maintain said guide and theaxis of said sighting member horizontal, said means comprising apendulum and a universal joint between said guide and sighting memberand said support, a slide in said guide, means for holding the saidslide in position in said guide, a second slide carried by saidfirst-named slide and movable horizontally with respect thereto, saidsecond slide being connected to said sighting member, means for holdingsaid second slide in position relatively to said first-named slide, andmeans for limiting the movement of said second slide to position saidsighting member with its line of vision vertical, said firstnamed slidebeing provided with means for limiting the movement of said second sliderelatively thereto in a direction away from a vertical plane through theaxis of said sighting member.

13. In a device of the class described, the combination of a sightingmember pivoted for movement about a horizontal axis, means for turningsaid sighting member about said axis, means for positioning saidsighting member at different angles to the vertical, said meanscomprising a member movabletransversely with respect to the vertical,and means coacting with said sighting member and adapted to be connectedto said movable member at different points transversely of the vertical.

14. In a device of the class described, the

to the vertical, said means comprising a member movable transverselywith respect to the vertical, and means coacting with said sightingmember and adapted to be connect ed to said movable member at differentpoints transversely of the vertical. 15. In apparatus of the classdescribed, the combination of a support movable to difl'erent positionswith respect to the horizontal, a pivoted sighting member, a guidehaving its center line spaced from the pivotal axis of said sightingmember, means for supporting said guide and sighting member from saidsupport adapted to maintain said guide and the pivotal axis of saidsighting member horizontal, a slide in said guide, means for holding thesaid slide in position in said a second slide carried by said firstslideand movable horizontally with being connected to said sighting member,means for holding said second slide in position relatively to saidfirst-named slide, means for limiting the movement of said second slidemember with its line of vision vertical, said first-named slide namedrespect thereto, said second slide make with the vertical an angle,

being provided with means for limiting the movement of said second sliderelatively thereto in a direction away from a vertical plane through thehorizontal axis of said sighting member, means for turning said sightingmember about said axis, and means for rendering said turning meansoperative or inoperative.

of which is equal to the quotient obtained -when the distance traveledby the bod in the time required by an object to fall rom said body tothe ground is divided by the distance of the body from the ground.

17. In apparatus of the class described for use upon a body in motion,the combination of a sighting member, and means coacting with saidmember and operable to automatically locate the same to cause the lineof vision thereof to make with the vertical an angle, the tangent ofwhich is equal to the quotient obtained when the distance traveled bythe body in the time required by an object to fall from said body to theground is 1 divided by the distance of the body from the ground, saidmeans comprising a movable stop device adapted to be adjusted bypreliminary observation by said sighting mem- V ber of a stationarytarget'at the beginning and end of an interval of time equal to ,that

v stated above.

18. In apparatus of the class described for use upon a body in motion,the combination of sighting means comprising a member pivoted formovement to change the direction of the line of vision with respect tothe vertical,

means coacting with said niember and operable to determine t' 9 positionof the same to cause the line of vision thereof to make with thevertical an angle, the tangent of which is equal to the quotientobtained when the distance traveled by the body in the time reqfiiiredby an object to fall from said body to t e ground is divided by thedistance of the body from the ground, and means for varying said angleto compensate for the resistance of the air upon the falling object.

' 19. In a device of the class described, the

combination, of a sighting member pivoted for movement about ahorizontal axis to change the direction of the line of vision thereofwith the vertical, and means coacting with said memberfor determiningtheposition thereof for sighting a target from a moving body todetermine when an object should be released from said body to fall uponsaid target, said means comprising a guide and a member movablelongitudinally .thereof and connected with said sighting member. Y

20. In a device of the class described, the combination of a'sightingmember pivoted for movement about a horizontal axis to change thedirection of the line of vision thereof with thevertical, and meanscoacting with said member for determining'the position thereof forsighting a target from a moving body to determine when an object shouldbe released from said body to fall upon said target, said meanscomprising a guide and a member a plurality of slides .movablelongitudinally thereof and connected with said sighting member.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

' GEORGES ESTOPPEY. t Witnesses:

Jnssm E. STALKER,

J. UNGER.

